Confederacy of Marlbaraq
The Confederacy of Marlbaraq was a short lived political entity that existed in the Northeast of Marlbaraq for around three months before being abolished by Twin Dominions President John Alexander in April, 2008. Reasons for the Confederation Although by no means a popular opinion on Marlbaraq, there is a strong anti-British sentiment amongst an estimated 20 per cent of the population, specifically in the North Eastern regions of the island where the Governor's influence is less strong than it is around the southern based capital, Alexandria. A great deal of the residents and workers in the North Eastern regions have American ancestry and often cite the American presence on Marlbaraq as being 'the best thing that ever happened to Marlbaraq'. The Pacifica First! Party The party has roots in the 1982 election of Governor General. Heavy Campaigning took place during this election, but was to no avail. The party were disregarded as 'hooligans' by the Marlbaraq press. However, at each election (held every ten years in Marlbaraq)they gained more and more popularity. By 2007, most of East Marlbaraq elected Gerald Young as Governor General. Seeing this as a vote of confidence, Young and his party declared the city of East Salem as the capital of the new Confederation of Marlbaraq. The island effectively became divided between East and West, with royalist support being the strongest in the west, and in the capital, Alexandria. Royal Response In late February 2008, the British Crown decided that enough was enough and dispatched a group of Royal Marines to East Salem. The Siege of East Salem took place for two months. The Royal Marines were assisted by local militia and civilian volunteers. East Salem had been well barricaded; no traffic from the south or west was allowed in. The city also began to maintain an armed militia and police service. Despite having a stronger force, the Royal Army was able to overcome the Confederation troopers by starvation. A mass exodus to the Loyalist South occurred in March 2008. The United States embassy also received a record number of asylum seekers. By April 20, Young had been imprisoned for High Treason and many of his co-conspirators were also jailed for extensive periods of time. Aftermath A new currency- the Confederation Pound- had been issued, and a new anthem decreed. Despite this, The Confederation had only managed to become popular in three other eastern cities. The Confederation was dubbed a 'sham' by the local press. East Salem remained relatively intact, barring looting by local militia on both the Confederation and Loyalist sides. Many people tore Confederation Flags down and took them home as souvenirs. It is also estimated that a total of 59,500 Confederation Pounds (approximately 17,500 US Dollars) were destroyed by mass burnings throughout the night of April 20. Some of the incarcerated have applied for Presidential Pardons. The President, Alexander II has refused all pardons as of April 24, 2008. The Pacifica First! Party continues to be active on Lagusta, Teawa and Narshe- a series of islands also formerly administered by the British. {| border=0 align=left cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 style="margin:1em auto; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #a1a1a1 solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 85%; line-height:1.5em; width:88%;" ! style="background-color:#003153; font-size:110%; color:white;" colspan=3| 25px The Twin Dominions. |- ! style="text-align:left;" | Main article: ! style="text-align:left;" | Marlbaraq • Confederacy of Marlbaraq |- ! style="text-align:left;" | Government: | Joseph Martins • President John Alexander II |-